Fat and muscle...HOW?
Options
Replies
-
I'm pretty sure the important thing to take away here is that *insert problem area here* is a hard place to lose weight. I also have a stomach issue (apparently storing excess fat here can be related to hormone issues, which I have), but if you can find a way to exercise, while watching your calories (preferable some form of cardio AND weight training) your body will eventually let go of it. Weight training (or calisthenics) is good because it's been shown that working muscles will burn calories as they repair over a 48 hour period, strengthen your bones, tone your body, build strength and with that improve form (and possibly help you win an arm wrestling contest!). Cardio is important because it helps you gain stamina (just because you're a body builder doesn't mean you can run a marathon!), helps you burn off calories more immediately and is good for your heart and respiratory system. So find a way to do both. Keep pushing your intensity level, it's not about "muscle confusion" or "mixing it up" for your body, it's about the fact that as you lose, your body becomes a more efficient calorie using machine. The smaller you are, the more work it takes to burn excess calories, because there is less mass to move and more muscles with which to do it. So you can't just do the exact same amount of stuff, or keep lifting the exact same size of weight and expect to keep losing. You have to step it up, push the envelope. If running on the treadmill at level #whatever isn't helping anymore do the same time but crank it up a level/incline. You don't want to stay the same weight, so don't keep lifting the same weights/doing the same level of cardio, you want a hot body, you have to "get hot," break a sweat and step up the intensity. Bring you're A game. You'll have a sense of accoplishment when you realize you were lifting 3lb hand weights and now you've go the 10s or whatever.
Find something you love! (I have a girl friend who didn't give a damn about calories or anything, but loved going out dancing on ladies night (she wasn't much of a drinker) and lost 20 lbs!) SO the important thing is to find something you love, rec. league sports are something to consider, or a dance class, jogging, push ups frolicking around your living room to your favorite tune--we could talk about what the "best" way to exercise is all day and night, but in the end it's calories in vs. calories out. Enjoy it! Man was not designed with a sedentary lifestyle in mind--like we do now, sitting for hours on end in front of a TV or computer.
And when you feel stuck, don't forget to track your measurements with a tape measure. Last time I got stuck, I whipped out the tape measure and found that though I hadn't lost any "weight" I had lost an inch all over. Don't get discouraged, stick with it and you can achieve your "goal" body! Get pumped! Let's do this thing together!0 -
Best advice ever. Thanks so much! That was really motivating. (and now my mind is saying back to the gym we go, haha.) :laugh:0
-
you cant build muscle and burn fat at the same time0
-
So everything about building muscle WHILE burning fat is wrong? I'm confused... Again...0
-
I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.
Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?0 -
So everything about building muscle WHILE burning fat is wrong? I'm confused... Again...
I go by MY body and that's all I have to go on......people can say whatever but for me the proof is always in what MY body does. I'm losing weight and building muscle.....so in my opinion, based on my results, you can do both because I'm doing it. :bigsmile:0 -
Don't worry about it...just have a good time! (I have a guy friend who doesn't lift at all but lost 100 lbs in a year doing jazzercise, of all things). I laughed, but it's what worked for him. He looks totally cut now (he started lifting for better tone later)...why shouldn't you have gained a little muscle mass while doing some cardio (it's not the most effective way, but lifting the weight of your leg is still a rep! Otherwise what's the point of a leg lift for a weight exercise?!). After a point though, you aren't going to get any more tone from a cardio exercise or a leg lift or whatever--because your leg or arm or core or what have you, isn't as heavy, your body is lighter (and more efficient), and we have to lift more weight to push our bodies to break down the muscles. So after a point you'll probably have to start lifting weights to achieve the tone/"lifting capacity"you would like. But to say that you can't build at least a little muscle while doing cardio is scientifically flawed. There are a lot of misconceptions about the physiology of weight loss out there. Just remember these five things:
1)Calories in>calories out
2) You won't always lose weight, but you may have lost inches, track those measurements too!
3)Find an exercise you enjoy and want to push yourself at--otherwise you'll just give up eventually--exercise shouldn't be like going to the dentist, you should have a good time.
4)When you've plateaued, realize that you're just becoming a leaner, more efficient machine and challenge yourself to taking it up another notch with your chosen exercise activities.
5) At some point, you'll have to do weight lifting to achieve the "toning" results you want to achieve. Unless you're already preforming a muscle intensive activity.
Best wishes! Don't let it get you down, our confusion on how to get there is how the diet and exercise industry makes millions of dollars off of us!0 -
I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.
Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?
Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.
My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.0 -
I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.
Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?
Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.
My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.
Is this Ascriminal's new account?0 -
Just a quick note: it's almost impossible to build muscle on a calorie deficit. To build muscle you have to add calories.I'm new to the site (hi by the way...), but I've lost around 24 pounds since january (ignore my ticker, haha.) I've finally settled into a routine, and hit that point where I NEED to go to the gym. If I don't, I get antsy! I'm doing great on strentgh training, and I'm slowly getting smaller but...my stomach. Everything has shrunk, except for that. And its keeping my weight steady, because right after I lose something, I realize that I'm gaining it back in muscle. I guess the point is... I know I can't spot reduce... But has anyone had this same problem? And what did you do to help/stay motivated/not give in to the random "i need to lose weight now now now" thoughts?
Genetic predisposition dictates where your body will lose fat first and last. If you abdominal area is moving slowly it's because your body is wired that way.
Keep at it. It took time to put it on, it will take time to take it off.0 -
7% and less is what competitive bodybuilders compete at and they lose muscle to get there, so I'm very skeptical that you gained 21lbs of muscle in a month while losing fat. Even "juiced" bodybuilders, with perfect nutrition would be happy to gain 5lbs of muscle in a year!I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month. To the OP, the stomach is usually the last thing to go. It's usually the biggest part of a male where he caries most of his fat, like i said It's the last thing to go, you said you're losing weight, just be patient.
And yes, my results where done naturally. My bodyfat went down 7%. The scale only showed a 4lbs loss. This just shows how the scale doesn't tell the entire story.
I personally feel that resistance training is better for fat burning then cardio. Some will say I am crazy for stating this. When you do cardio you burn more calories for a certain amount of time, if you want to take the post oxygen consumption in to account go ahead, makes no difference. There will be a point when you go back to your normal metabolic rate. When you're done doing resistance training your body is trying to repair the muscle whcih will also raise your metabolic rate. When you add more muscle you have a new metabolic rate burning more calories over a 24hr period of time, cardio doesn't have this effect.0 -
Okay I'm now realizing this is a gimmick account.
Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.
My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.0 -
7% and less is what competitive bodybuilders compete at and they lose muscle to get there, so I'm very skeptical that you gained 21lbs of muscle in a month while losing fat. Even "juiced" bodybuilders, with perfect nutrition would be happy to gain 5lbs of muscle in a year!I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month. To the OP, the stomach is usually the last thing to go. It's usually the biggest part of a male where he caries most of his fat, like i said It's the last thing to go, you said you're losing weight, just be patient.
And yes, my results where done naturally. My bodyfat went down 7%. The scale only showed a 4lbs loss. This just shows how the scale doesn't tell the entire story.
I personally feel that resistance training is better for fat burning then cardio. Some will say I am crazy for stating this. When you do cardio you burn more calories for a certain amount of time, if you want to take the post oxygen consumption in to account go ahead, makes no difference. There will be a point when you go back to your normal metabolic rate. When you're done doing resistance training your body is trying to repair the muscle whcih will also raise your metabolic rate. When you add more muscle you have a new metabolic rate burning more calories over a 24hr period of time, cardio doesn't have this effect.
I am skeptical too, but that's what the numbers say. I weighed myself first it said i lost 4lbs in a month. I know i can't control how much weight i lose. I just thought to myself "after all the stuff I am doing, i'd expect more. but it's better than 0" Then I remembered I measured my bodyfat a month ago, I take new measurments, the difference was 21lbs of muscle and 25lbs of fat. Exactly 4lbs. Plus 2 inches are gone frommy waist, well 3 now. I don't believe it much either, but that's what the numbers say. I didn't say "i am at 7% bodyfat" i said "I lost 7% bodyfat"0 -
I gained 21lbs of muscle and lost 25lbs of fat this month.
Wow! That's amazing!
Arnold gained 25 lbs of muscle in his best YEAR!
How did you do that?
Well a big part of it is because i started a lifting this month. People who just start out make bigger gains. Arnold put on 25lbs a year because he was doing it a long time. If someone starts out on a weight loss journey they will initially lose more weight than someone who has been doing it for a long time. I contribute the big gain to that.
My diet is pretty simple, I do intermittent fasting, I don't eat anything till around 5pm, then i eat in all my calories about 2,500. I also keep carbs low below 20grams. I have a cheat/free day every 7-14 days. exercising in a fasted state produces a lot more growth hormone which will help you burn a lot more fat when exercising. After I do my lifting then i eat.
Is this Ascriminal's new account?
what?0 -
port, you're not really making any sense with your numbers. How much do you weigh, what is your approx BF before and after this month. do u have any pictures??? The only scenario I see your numbers making any sense is if you are like 400-500 lbs.0
-
emailed you the stats.port, you're not really making any sense with your numbers. How much do you weigh, what is your approx BF before and after this month. do u have any pictures??? The only scenario I see your numbers making any sense is if you are like 400-500 lbs.0 -
Clinical studies by numerous peer view Universities and medical journals would also be skeptical. What method did you use to measure your bodyfat? Unless it was hydrostatic or even Air Displacement Plethysmography, then the margin of error is pretty consistent. Up to 3%-5% because water beneath the skin can fluctuate so much.I am skeptical too, but that's what the numbers say. I weighed myself first it said i lost 4lbs in a month. I know i can't control how much weight i lose. I just thought to myself "after all the stuff I am doing, i'd expect more. but it's better than 0" Then I remembered I measured my bodyfat a month ago, I take new measurments, the difference was 21lbs of muscle and 25lbs of fat. Exactly 4lbs. Plus 2 inches are gone frommy waist, well 3 now. I don't believe it much either, but that's what the numbers say. I didn't say "i am at 7% bodyfat" i said "I lost 7% bodyfat"0 -
Port, I think you are extrapolating an error in your BF calculations. I can get readings as high as 23% Bioimpedence and as low as 18 within a few days. Depending on how much water I've drank/ hydration / timing / after-before workout / diet / after-before taking dump etc. Same goes for any measurements I might take on bodyparts. Does it mean I lost 5% in a day or 2, ... of course not. All methods (of BF testing) are proven to be even more innaccurate for people on the very high end of the scale.0
-
Quote:
Is this Ascriminal's new account?
End Quote
:laugh: Ha! That's the first thing I thought after I read it! :laugh:0 -
I don't want to be the bearer of bad news...but it's only possible for the human body to gain about 1lb of lean mass (muscle) a month. That's on a male bodybuilder's diet and workout routine. Anyone else gains less, with females gaining the least. The weight you're seeing sticking around, is water to repair those muscles you're building up at the gym.
I love working out too...and I STILL have a middle issue (as well as love handles.../sigh). You just have to keep at it until all of the fat is gone lol. It sucks...but it's the way it is. It's not that bad though, I went from 30% plus bodyfat, to 19% where I'm at now, in just a few short months. Just KEEP AT IT!!
Rofl, no.
You can't even possibly answer that question in the way that you did.
To start, that's an absolute lie that you can only gain about 1lb of lean mass a month. Sounds like random youtube information.
MIT claims that you can gain .5-1kg per week of muscle mass through proper diet and weight training as a male.
(http://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrwtgain.html)
Someone who is just starting body building can gain 20 lbs in 6 months, someone who has been body building for 10 years will probably gain much slower depending on where they hit their genetic limit.
I've been body building for a while and I'm currently bulking on about 5 lbs a month, 1-1.5 being fat and the rest being muscle.
In order to actually gain muscle mass properly, you have to eat over your caloric limit.
A female averages around 70 ng/dl of testosterone so their muscle gains are even slower.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions